Just One Moment
by Blue Mage Quartet
Summary: It only takes one moment for everything to collapse... for the whole world you thought you knew to crumble. He realized this too late. Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. *Complete*
1. Just One Moment

**Just One Moment**

**For some reason, I have had a weird inspiration to write something tragic… this is something totally new for me, so it will likely seem very odd. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, as is general advice and comments. Enjoy!**

* * *

Death was something everyone could feel. It was wretched, swift, and brutal, tearing at the insides of even the most stoic and hardened person, reducing their physical and emotional barriers, that one wall that stood strong, to a pile of rubble and dust. It is even worse if the body is that of a child.

One could consider being inured to death if it had been witnessed enough. The sight of corpses, stagnant upon the earth, glassy eyes gazing at something they would never see again. If you've seen the dead children, sallow, small, harmless, so easy to break… it doesn't bother you. Oh, no, just another body to bury, another soul set free from the chaos.

Some people would consider it a heartless way to go about living. Others find it the only way to survive… shutting out death, becoming detached from day to day life, the things occurring around them meaningless. By preparing for the worst, always expecting a scream of sorrow or pain, always expecting the tears to flow over the still body of a loved one… nothing could hurt you. You would be immovable, emotionless. You would be as stone.

He closed his emerald eyes, his mind numb from everything. Tears spilled forth onto the ground as he wept, mingling with the rain falling mercilessly upon him. Oh, how he wished to be as stone… how he wished…

* * *

"Sonic, please take me with you!" The pink hedgehog begged her sapphire hero.

"Amy, you can't come with us today! Remember, Cream came down with a chill… you have to stay home with her and Vanilla," Sonic informed, rubbing his arms against the cold. The two were waiting for the next train to the Mystic Ruins to arrive at the Station Square train station.

Amy smoothed her water-logged clothes. Instead of her normal red dress, she had opted for a lightweight red coat, an orange sweater, and slim fit blue jeans. She mumbled morosely, "Honestly, she should know better to play hide and seek during a thunderstorm, it's soaking wet."

Sonic cupped her chin, looking into her eyes, "Don't worry Ames. When this is all said and done, how about you and I go to that new diner that opened in Soleanna?"

Amy's jaw settled on the floor. It was impossible. Had Sonic just asked_ her_ on a date? Her, his rabid pink stalker, the one who pursued him around in a fan girl chase for his hand in marriage, despite Sonics' attempt to dissuade her? She stumbled over her words, "Um… uh… that sounds great, Sonic!" She finally forced out. Was Sonic just pretending to be annoyed at her all that time, to mask his true feelings?

Her train of thought was disrupted as Tails walked past her, solemn and quiet as if he was going to a funeral. Amy gestured at Tails as he trudged past her, aiming her question at Sonic, "What's up with him?"

Sonic looked at his best friend as he walked past, worried. "I don't know. He's been depressed all week. Maybe a little action today will make him feel better." The door closed as the train slowly rumbled on the tracks to its destination. Sonic waved merrily at the pink hedgehog as the train took off.

Amy waved happily back, ecstatic with glee. With thoughts of Sonic and their upcoming date on her mind, she walked cheerfully out of the train station, whistling. Today wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

The sky was heavy, overcast. Thunder bristled throughout the sky, assaulting the small band as they trekked towards the launch pad for the Tornado. It consisted of the usual team… himself, the burly red echidna he maintained a friendly rivalry with, Knuckles, and the brilliant two tailed fox who was his best friend, Tails.

The three had chattered amiably enough, despite the weather. It was standard fare: Sonic would insult Knuckles, prompting the latter to get offended and jump for a chance to fight. Tails had been the one to step in and halt Knuckles' tirade, always being sensible and level headed.

"Guys! Come on, cut it out! We don't need this right now…" He proclaimed softly, barely heard above the downpour.

Knuckles brushed the kid off, falling quiet. Tails gazed silently at the ground, watching the rain drops spatter repeatedly at his feet. This uncomfortable silence held for a few moments, until Sonic broke the quiet with a question, "What's the matter, little bro? You've never been so jumpy and nervous before."

The blue eyed fox rubbed his arm in the cold, his eyes locked straight ahead, "I don't know… today doesn't seem right for anything… I just hope we can make it through without too much happening."

Knuckles elbowed his younger companion lightly, trying to cheer him up, "No need to be so glum, kid. Not like all this rain and thunder will change the fact that we're going to win today, like always." His purple eyes sparkled eagerly, but died down when met with the somber orbs of the twin tailed fox. Knuckles turned away, crossing his arms, "Is it just me or is not just the rain that's dismal?"

Sonic sprinted up the stairs in the Mystic Ruins as the group closed in on Tails' workshop. Tugging the door open, whose handle had become slick with dew, he motioned his allies inside. Knuckles hurried inside after him, but Tails was slower to arrive. As Sonic closed the door to the workshop, he met his best friends' worried gaze with a confident smile, "Don't worry, Tails. This may just be your fear of storms talking for you. Come on, let's get going."

The inventor followed behind him as Sonic clambered on top of the biplane, standing up on the wings. Knuckles was already up there, waiting impatiently for everything to start. The rain harshly beat down upon his workshop. Tails looked back at the doorway, the normally sunny and clear landscape of the ruins darkened ominously by the deluge of water and gleam of lightning. Sighing, the golden furred fox stepped up into the pilot's seat, turning the ignition for his plane. He could only hope what his best friend had uttered to him was true.

* * *

The mission was simple enough: assault Eggman's new floating doom ship, and as always, the maniacal scientist named it the Egg Carrier. But with a roman numeral III tacked on to the end, as if it granted his warship the extra edge.

It had proceeded normally enough: a firefight in the sky, a hasty landing on the bridge of Eggmans' new ship, massacring of the aforementioned rotund scientists' robots, and a confrontation on the bridge of his epic warship.

"Give it up, Eggman!" Sonic declared, thrusting a finger at the round scientist, eager to be done with his arch rival.

"Never! This is the final time you have outwitted me! I will stand this no longer!" A gleam of determination glinted on his black glasses, visible even in the downpour. One gloved hand extended to the sky, as if he would call down lightning to smite his sworn foe. However, no heavenly bolts descended to fry the trio to a crisp.

Footsteps could be heard from behind the evil megalomaniac, even through the sheet of rain. Eggman grinned maliciously, stepping aside to reveal his new creation. As the footsteps drew closer, it became clear what the figure was. His shoes were half red, half white. The robot had a small frame for one of Eggmans' creations, sleek and child like. This creation was a fox, two tailed. Three bangs protruded from his forehead, golden-yellow in color, with blue eyes.

"You must be Sonic!" A voice hailed him. Sonic looked straight into the azure eyes of the figure before him, even though the voice was that of his best friend.

This fabrication possessed the same naïve and childish tone in his voice, as well as the intelligent gaze and the exact same body structure as the young fox. He could have passed off as Tails' twin. He could even pass _for_ Tails, the two looked exactly alike.

Sonic shook his head in skepticism. Had Robotnik figured out how to clone? Or was this some illusion he was seeing due to the rain? How could there be two Tails?

The "new" Tails answered his question for him, "Don't worry, Sonic. Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. I am your best friend," he strode past the confused blue hedgehog. Sonic hurriedly cast his eyes over in Knuckles direction, looking to him for confirmation, to see if he truly was seeing two Tails. Even though Knuckles masked his surprise with a firm face of indifference, Sonic surmised that the crimson echidna was as startled as he was.

The copy came to a halt in front of his twin, continuing, "I possess everything you have… the same intellect, the same strengths, the same memories… I don't just look like you. I am you." The replica gazed into the eyes of the fox which he was modeled from. It was like looking into a mirror.

"However, I am faster…" without warning, the gloved hand shot forward, encircling the other foxes throat, "stronger…" the other fox lifted Tails up into the air, crushing his windpipe mercilessly with an iron grip, "and evil."

Tails struggled, kicking at the air as he tried to pry the hands of the copy off him. His struggles grew weaker, his brain and body depraved of oxygen. Stars swam through his vision, blurring in vast rainbows of color. He saw one bright crimson flash rise up behind his assailant through the spinning and twirling of lights.

Knuckles smirked as his fist impacted with the back of the replicas' skull. His haughty demeanor quickly turned to one of surprise as a golden blur snatched at his arm, wrenching downward with amazing speed. He felt the bones in his wrist snap almost in two. The replica of Tails tilted his head to the right, turning around. The duplicate smiled at the pained look on the face of his opponent.

"How rude, trying to interrupt our fun. We aren't done yet." With barely a flick of his wrist, Tails flung Knuckles away, as if he weighed no more than a feather. The echidna landed in a crumpled heap, skidding on the surface of the airship before coming to a halt.

Evil Tails turned his attention back to the feeble flailing of his counterpart. His face was one of his amusement as he watched the struggles of his twin grow ever weaker, "My, my. Over already? You really _are _weak."

The clone of the young fox pushed his bangs out of his eyes with a dry chuckle, "You would think Master Robotnik's archenemy would know better than to let useless baggage trail along behind. What kind of heroes are you?"

Rain pounded down upon him continuously as Tails lifted a tired gaze to the blue eyes that were observing him. He tried to speak through the iron vice that was cutting through his neck, but his mouth could not move. The evil copy replied to the panicked question in the eyes of his double, "You're asking me why your hero hasn't come to the rescue? You know the answer to that question, don't you? My master programmed me with all the information of his enemies and encounters with them. There was one factor that led to Sonic never having a complete victory over him; you."

"Always getting captured, having your little toys blown up, receiving near fatal injuries more often than not… you know, right? The useless little kid, never a threat, but then again, never a _help, _either. That is how my master sees you, he always observed you with the most interest as a potential rival. You never tried to do any better with your machinery, you were always reluctant to _do anything_ until the very. last. moment."

"My master always saw the flashes of hate in his eyes whenever you were too slow or too weak. The exasperation and the anger at another one of your failures. You may not have caught them, but my creator did."

The eyes of the copy glinted maliciously, "He always saw how much Sonic hated you."

Sonic clinched his fists in rage, his eyes tearing around for a sight of the Doctor he so despised so that the hedgehog could rip him apart. However, he did not see the familiar egg shaped body wrapped in red and black. The scientist was gone.

A strangled remnant of a sob escaped Tails' mouth, "No… stop it… stop talking…"

"I think, finally, that your **'**brother**'** realized you aren't worth saving."

Tails raggedly tried to draw in breath, tears streaking down his face as he shook his head, "That… that can't be true…" He choked out weakly, the rain and thunder almost completely eclipsing his voice.

The pained and sorrowful eyes that weakly gazed at Sonic through the deluge almost physically hurt him. It was like a stab to the heart.

The kitsune continued the degrading of his captive, "You've always been weak. You've always been in the way. You aren't even skilled at being a good sidekick. All you can do is waste the hours away tinkering in your little workshop, hoping the next failure you concoct will be of some use to your little friends! Not even your family would take care of you!"

Stinging tears started to form in the foxes eyes as the words of his malignant doppelganger struck him. They hurt more than any physical pain.

"What's this? Growing weaker?" Meeting the streaming eyes of his original, the facsimile came to a decision. He cupped his free hand, a swirl of energy forming in the center of his palm. The "new" Tails positioned his hand on the chest of his adversary.

Sonic snapped out of his daze. His best friend was being choked by a look a like! "Why didn't I stop him sooner?" Sonic degraded himself for standing still. As he sped forward, a resolution to stop the new creation rising in his mind, a small feeling ate away inside him. Deep down, this feeling told him he truly hated the child he had treated as a surrogate brother all this time. Because of his weakness, because of his tendency to get captured; all these reasons for loathing swirled inside him. But another feeling rose inside him, this one of deep friendship, trust, and an unbreakable bond. With these feelings causing a tempestuous storm inside him, Sonic prepared for a strike against the being that bore resemblance to his best friend.

He was only off by a second.

The dark duplicate leaned upward, whispering into the ear of the weakened fox, "It seems that those words hurt you most of all, my friend. Allow me to put you out of your misery."

The ball of energy swelled before erupting into a stream of power. Tails was flung away like a rag-doll. The force of the energy beam caused him to roll several times before coming to a stop, his battered body small and fragile as it lay still, pelted by the rain. The ground around him was covered crimson with his own blood, the beam having impacted close range, almost slicing clean through his body.

Tails turned away from the motionless figure behind him, "Living things… they are so very fragile…"

Sonic sank to his knees. His mind was numb as he stared at the still body of his friend. He heard a scream of rage coming from Knuckles, who charged forward recklessly at the carbon copy of Tails. He realized Tails was already dead, or would be very soon.

He was so naïve to believe it would last forever.

* * *

I feel a little guilty for killing off Tails, my favorite character. Well, please review, and criticism is welcome. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. I planned on a one shot, but I realized that would be too long, so this story will probably be 3-5 chapters long. Thanks for reading.


	2. No Time for Sorrow

**No Time for Sorrow**

**I've been drifting down the lazy river as of late… I haven't updated in a bit, on pretty much all my stories. However, I really want to get back on track with this fic because it's one of the more serious things I've written. Plus, poor little Tails can't stay dying in the rain for a long time, can he?**

…**My god that sounded evil.**

* * *

The rain fell in a constant deluge around him, plummeting to the ground in a repetitive pattern. The clash of a battle could be seen in the background, streaks of light yellow and red clashing against each other, the thudding of bodies and cries of rage breaking the sound made by the storms' onslaught.

He was oblivious to it all. The world around him was misty, blurry. Raising his hands upward, he noticed even they were murky. However, there was one thing that stood out in his vision as streaks of rain dribbled onto gloved hands. The water droplets slowly trickled downward through the liquid red substance, washing it away. The normally crisp, white leather was striped with red, as if he had taken a paintbrush and created marvelous strokes of vivid scarlet. There was so much of it… where did it all come from? Was it his art, or did it belong to another? Questions swirled around in his brain as the bewildered male's gaze drew downward.

Green eyes widened in shock at the prone figure before him. The body… it was so small… it couldn't be more than eight or nine years old. His brain took in the two tails, the red and white shoes, three bangs protruding from the forehead, the large ears. His pulse started to quicken, and his heart nearly burst from his chest when he glimpsed the large gash from the left shoulder down to the right hip, and the constant stream of red leaking from the gaping cut. This was someone familiar… someone-

His dreamlike state shattered to pieces. The terrible reality of it all rushed back to him, filling every bit of him with the cruel knowledge of what had happened. He realized that this person, bleeding out on the floor of a massive warship, was his best friend.

Sonic the Hedgehog screamed.

* * *

Knuckles clenched his fists together, willing himself to ready his battle stance. Gritting his teeth, the echidna levered himself up on one arm, trying to banish the pain of his broken wrist from his mind. He would focus only on fighting. Only on utterly destroying the leering mirror image of the kitsune fox who lay still in the rain.

"No more games!" Knuckles snarled, desperately trying to rise from the floor. He willed himself on combat as searing pain lanced through his right wrist. His arms still shook violently, as if they had a mind of their own.

"But why should we stop playing? This game is such fun!" The blue eyes sparkled with amusement at the vain attempts to rise from his foe. "Then again, it's no fun when your partner doesn't know how the rules."

Knuckles nearly yelled in surprise as his right arm was forcefully yanked upward by the fox. "How…" he muttered under his breath, "how do you move so fast?"

Tails cocked his head slightly in the rain, as if he was a child asking an older sibling a question, "Did you not hear? I'm superior to that little fool in every way… but when it boils down to it, you aren't much stronger than he was."

"That may be true…" Knuckles smirked, drawing his gaze equal to that of his adversary, "but the real Tails had something you'll never even be able to grasp…"

"Oh? What would that be?"

The red, dreadlocked fighter grinned, "Friends."

Before he could react, Knuckles gasped as he felt the impact of a fist upon his chest. His sternum rattled inside his chest as he fell to the floor, moaning in agony. Tails stooped down next to his writhing from, smiling at the pain he had inflicted, before rising back up.

Unclenching his fist, the golden foxes' eyes narrowed, "Idiot. Taunts will only get you killed faster. Not that that matters, I'm repulsed just _looking_ at you. But a quick death takes all the fun out of things."

Knuckles could only watch as he saw a gloved hand descend towards his throat as his world dimmed to black.

* * *

"It won't stop flowing… please, Tails, stop… stop bleeding…" Sonic clutched at the red coated body of his best friend. The vital liquid had completely saturated his gloves. But no matter how much rain fell, the blood wouldn't wash away. It was a bright, continuous stream of ruby, flowing out non stop like a river that had broken through a dam. And it was taking Tails with it.

Salty tears mixed with blood as Sonic rocked back and forth, "Tails… those things he said… they weren't true… I…" His heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he saw the azure eyes he thought would stay shut forever flutter open.

"Sonic?" The child's voice was barely audible to the blue hero's ears.

"Oh, god… Tails, you're okay… don't worry, everything will be fine…" Sonic mustered as much bravado as he could, even though deep down he knew things would not be fine.

Tails laughed weakly, but a small trickle of blood came forth from the corner of his mouth. Sonic, alarmed, tried to clean it away, but Tails shook his head, "Sonic… please… there's no need for you to sugar coat your words… I'm going to die today, aren't I?" His mouth turned upward into a sad smile.

Sonic's heart nearly shattered into a thousand pieces at this point, "Tails… don't talk like that… we'll get you home, and patch you up… everything will be fine. Sure, that will leave a nasty scar, but it'll be alright." Sonic's eyes roamed wildly around, as if to avoid the pitiful sight before him. His voice broke, his hopes sinking lower and lower every second, "If you keep talking like that… little bro, I don't know what I'll do without you. Please, Tails… hold on a little bit longer." His tears flowed freely now.

Tails sighed, his three bangs blowing in the wind, "Why are you being so optimistic, Sonic? How is it that you can be so upright and cheery? You shouldn't keep your hopes up, just to have them torn down in the end."

Something inside the blue hedgehog snapped. A surge of unspoken feelings started to roil through him, quickly bubbling up to his surface. His thoughts and emotions suddenly exploded forth into words.

"Tails, will you just shut up!!!" He was surprised at how much louder his voice was, "I'm trying to help you! But you just lie there and accept the fact that you're going to die! What kind of person are you if you just give up? Fight it, Tails! You're stronger than this!"

Tails looked up at his lifelong best friend, smiling, "I appreciate it, Sonic… but I don't think I can…"

"You are NOT going to die here! I won't let you, dammit!" Sonic screamed, his voice hoarse.

"Aww, touching," a voice hailed him in the background, "at least you can join him in death."

Sonic whirled around at the voice behind him.

The duplicate of Tails was standing there in the rain. He was holding the gently swaying body of Knuckles in one hand. Upon seeing Sonic's reaction, he gazed at the red echidna whom he held by the throat, blue eyes narrowed in condescension, "What, this thing? Oh, don't worry. He's not dead. As much as I hate to admit it, I don't enjoy killing weaklings." His eyes drew to his twin, "That one being the only exception."

Without warning, Sonic suddenly found himself on the ground several yards away, as a result of having Knuckles hurled at him. He gently pushed off the prone form of his companion, only to see his other ally in mortal danger.

The other Tails had the dying fox by the throat once again, clutching him in a deadly grip. Sonic was rushing toward the pair, his legs in full throttle. He wouldn't be late this time.

"Let's make that cut deeper, shall we?" Whispering wickedly in the ears of his twin, the evil Tails opened his free palm. A beam of crackling plasma condensed into space; grasping the blade, the fox swung it around, angling for a slice, "Don't worry. This one will be clean this time, not jagged like the last one." A sadistic grin flashed on his face.

However, the grin of brutality quickly turned into one of surprise as he was jarred from his position. Tails fell back to the floor, his body contacting the pile of blood with a sickening squelch. The copy was knocked over from the high speed tackled, the plasma blade disintegrating into nothing.

Rising up from his position, the clone eyes' narrowed to slits. The fury and rage in them was unlike any other the hedgehog had ever seen. Those eyes were alight with flame.

"That's twice now someone's interrupted me. You _must _be looking to die. Reckless fool," A small orb of lightning sparked to life. As the energy crackled and sparkled, the clone spoke, "I never thought you would be the one to give me so much trouble. The brash cocky leader of the group… those are the types that always die first. You were just lucky." With no more than a mere flick of his wrist, the lightning surged toward Sonic.

If the amount of effort expended to make the ball of lightning had been any indicator of it's power, Sonic wouldn't even have been fazed by the globe. However, the explosion that ensued was massive. Sonic was lucky to have escaped by diving to the left. The heat still managed to sear his back, blackening his blue body.

His quills smoking, Sonic rose to full height. Rather than disbelief, pain, or fear showing in his emerald eyes, there was confidence. His lips formed not into a grimace, but a grin.

"Deciding to be overconfident, are we? You can regret your decision in Hell," the left index finger of the evil fox pointed straight at Sonic. "After you're dead, I'll finish off that pathetic friend of yours. Then I'll butcher that idiotic red echidna. Honestly, how could you surround yourself with these people?" His eyes danced with humor as he directed his question at the azure hedgehog.

Instead of firing off a cocky comeback, Sonic's tone was dead serious, "If any more words like that come from that mouth, I don't care who you look like, I might have to rip it off."

A startled look flashed briefly in the doppelganger's eyes, before they settled into one of derision, "Really, now? Sounds like you aren't afraid to die. Don't worry, though. It will be quick."

Sonic readied himself into a fighting stance, his fists balling tight together. He closed his eyes, dispersing his emotions to the winds. Drawing strength from his friends, Sonic readied himself. Everything of the current moment- the rage, fear, sadness- it was all gone.

Donning his almost trademark grin, Sonic tore forward for the first blow.

* * *

**I bet you want to kill me for ending it at a cliffhanger. Next chapter will be the big fight scene, and (possibly) Tails' death, and then the next chapter after that one will be the aftermath. I'll see you guys next time.**

**As always, comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated. **


	3. Strike

**Strike**

**AN: Yes, I'm a slow updater. But, I have Ch. 3 done. So only a few more paragraphs/chapters until little old Tails kicks the bucket/lives. Yes, I haven't decided whether or not to actually "kill" him. You people make me feel guilty! Also, if you think he should have died by now, pretend that all these chapters have taken place over the span of a few hours. Because that what's actually happening, y'know. **

* * *

A blue flash was visible, only momentarily, through the rain. Even with keen eyesight such as his, the blur was hard to track. His only warning was a small whip of wind brushing his cheek. At that point it was too late.

A fist, driven by speed rather than strength, slammed hard into the muzzle of the twin tailed fox. Staggering back, his white glove ascended toward his cheek, feeling the bruised point of the fingertips.

"Good job…." The fox murmured, his face leering. "You rely just a little too much on that speed of yours, though."

Sonic breathed in, surprised. His brain was working overtime. For a powerful, evil version of his best friend, he still shared the same key weaknesses: he was small. A body, no matter how big, small, or strong, would eventually succumb to repeated physical stress.

With that thought on his mind, Sonic started into a run. Sliding his feet forward, the blue hedgehog attempted to skid over to his opponent and knock his feet out from under him. His body slid quickly towards his target; the two tailed fox only looked at him impassively as Sonic drove nearer and nearer.

At the last moment, the clone of Tails simply stepped to the right. Sonic skidded past him, pushing out hard with his heels. He turned roughly 90 degrees, using his leverage to flip himself up into a standing point.

"Try a little harder next time, okay?" The blue eyed fox taunted him.

Sonic clenched his fists together, "How about you come at me, then? So far you seem like all talk and no… you get the point." He could barely even blink before blood and spit were forcibly expelled from his mouth. His eyes widened in shock and pain as his body was forced back several feet. The hedgehog wiped the blood from the side of his mouth grudgingly, ignoring the stinging pain.

His eyes locked immediately on his aggressor. "So, maybe you can fight. That blow certainly didn't hurt much, though."

A smirk adorned the face of his target, one that mirrored the cockiness that had appeared on Sonic's face so many times before, "Enough with the pointless banter. That pitiful expression on your face, not to mention all that blood, kind of tells a different story. Why, I'd say you're almost done."

Sonic rushed forward while speaking, his hopes being that maybe, just maybe, he could catch him off guard, "There's more to me than that! I'll prove it!"

Unfortunately, that strategy didn't work. The only thing he touched was air. Tails had vanished.

"People who say those words should have the strength to back them up!" Sonic's head snapped up, a split second before he felt the impact of an elbow driven into his stomach. Before he could react, the back of his head nearly exploded with pain as an equally powerful kick drove his skull downwards, and into the glass.

His body afire with pain, the hedgehog's face was pushed mercilessly against the cold floor. He felt continuous pressure being gradually applied to his head. He was finding it hard to breathe.

Tails was seated upon his back. No matter how much he struggled, Sonic couldn't be free of his oppressive weight. And Tails was lighter than he was! _"Am I really this weak already?" _Sonic thought, disgusted at how easily he had been overcome.

"You know, it's really quite a shame that you guys are so brittle. Just one little twist…" Tails gripped the hedgehog's right arm, bending it all the way around. The blue eyes lit up at the scream of pain elicited from the hedgehog's mouth, "…and something as important as an arm can be broken."

Taking the right hand and grasping one finger, Tails wrenched backwards suddenly. A satisfying snap was heard, as well as the accompanying cry of pain. The tears in Sonic's green eyes were almost impossible to distinguish in the rain as all of the fingers on his right hand were broken, some almost in half.

Sonic froze, ceasing his struggling as Tails leaned down next to him, whispering, "Just think, though… I could tear your leg clean off, snap your neck in half… I could rip that stupid little mouth of yours right off your face… in fact, I think I will."

Sonic waited to feel the fingers snaking down toward his mouth. Feeling the fingers brush against the inside of his cheeks, he mashed down furiously.

Yelping in pain, the fox leaped up. Sonic struggled to raise himself up on his feet. Panting for breath, ignoring the burning pain that seared in nearly every part of his body; it took all his energy just to stand up. "You know, for a really strong evil version of my best friend, you bleed just as easily as the rest of us."

Eyes of pure malice gazed at him hatefully, "I'm going to kill you."

Sonic wanted to spit at him defiantly, leap upon his aggressor and claw at him furiously until every ounce of energy was drained from him. But he didn't; the next words he spoke betrayed his thoughts. Calm words, almost _friendly _words slipped from his mouth, "Be quiet. If you truly meant to kill me, I'm sure an all mighty evil clone like you would have done so by now. But you're letting me live. There must be a slight shred of decency in you. Nothing is born only with pure evil in its heart."

"I like to refer to that thing that you call _good, _as _weakness._ People like you are held back by morals, rules. I don't have to worry about things like that. In case that didn't clue you in, it won't bother me to toss your corpse off this ship."

Clutching his arm, the hedgehog steadied his gaze, his eyes piercing straight into blue ones, "Let me guess: after you finish me off, you'll kill Tails, and Knuckles soon after. That's what they all try to do. Or will you go for my friends first, to make me suffer?"

"Nothing can be purely good or purely evil…" Sonic gasped, his body on the brink of collapse; if he tried to keep this up much longer, the strain could permanently damage him. But that didn't bother him; he couldn't afford to focus on himself right now. Gingerly feeling his right hand, Sonic had to bite his lip until it bled to keep from howling out in pain. Anguish shot through his dominant hand like a raging fire.

Spitting the iron taste of blood from his mouth, he continued, "We all have a bit of both in us… life wouldn't be the same otherwise, you know?"

"I'm getting tired of hearing your voice grate against my ears… what say I shut you up permanently?" Sonic saw a blinding yellow flash speed towards him. He could only gasp in reaction as he feet were swept out from under him. His breath evacuated his mouth as Sonic was kneed in the lower chest. The world seemed to slow down as he fell downwards, right into the position where the fox wanted him. Tails grasped the top of Sonics' face. Wrenching back cruelly, Tails placed a palm on Sonics' forehead, radiating pressure towards him.

A burst of energy erupted from the palm, forcing Sonic's already battered body hurtling downward at a frightening speed. His body flew hard against the glass, causing a large crack to slither its way across the deck as the sheer impact sent him rebounding up into the sky.

His body came down to earth with a wet thud. Tails watched as the hedgehog trembled weakly, coughing and groaning as his body felt the effects of the attack. "Is this all the hero of Mobius is capable of? Even the _real _Tails could have surpassed you."

Sonic tried to get up on his knees, but all his energy was spent; exhaustion and pain combined forced him to collapse back to the floor. It was as if his bones had been reduced to powder and his body was left only as a quivering mass of gelatin. However, Sonic still pushed himself; despite the burning pain that assaulted his neck, as if it was being pulled off his body, he looked at his aggressor, "Don't talk about him like that."

Surprised, the copy turned to the weakened hedgehog, "Care to enlighten me as to what exactly you mean?"

Sonic gritted his teeth as pain overwhelmed him; as if a thousand swords had made him their target and sunk deep into every part of his flesh. It was through sheer strength of will alone that he was able to stand.

"Do **not** talk about him in the past tense; he isn't dead. He's still alive; he'll overcome what you've done, I'll see to it. I won't give up him."

"Hate to disappoint you, but you're wrong."

"What?" A feeling of dread engulfed him, his pulse racing as he shouted out, more in assurance to himself than a command. "Stop lying!" Sonic clenched his fists angrily. Inside, his pulse started to pound. "_He has to be lying..." _

"Believe it or not, I'm- sorry, he- is dead. He isn't breathing, that looks like too much blood for him to have lost, and there's no light in his eyes; they're all pale and glassy. He looks cold… so cold…" The other fox himself shook slightly, as if the air around him had turned frosty.

When the other fox turned to his opponent, his blue eyes held a trace of something akin to sadness, "I guess that's what death is. There's nothing left but a hollow shell. The person you bonded together with, all those times, both good and bad. Those memories are gone in only a moment, just one. That's all it takes to end a life, isn't it?"

Stooping down, he trailed his fingers in the bright red pool surrounding the still figure, "It's odd… how much life depends on this red liquid…" The fox stood up, clasping his hand. Blood flowed down his clenched hand. He beckoned towards Sonic, "He did resist this until the end… but he gave up. He gave up on himself, on you, on life. Don't let yours end like that, okay?"

Sonic was genuinely surprised at the change in speech and mannerism of his foe, "I still don't believe you for one second, you know? Even though it looks like you've changed a little."

A faint smile graced the lips of the clone, "Seeing the body of the person you were made to be… it's a little upsetting, to be totally honest. Even if we are different personality wise, I am him, you know. He laughs, I laugh. He cries, I cry."

Sonic's eyes widened as he realized the truth dawned on him, "He dies…?"

Tails nodded, a somewhat forlorn look on his face, "I die…"

A stab of grief surged through Sonic; he was going to lose them both. Sure, one of those foxes tried to murder him, but it still hurt. "If you knew this...then why did you do it?"

"I am, more or less, Tails' shadow. I posses everything he has, but the negative features about him are brought forth in my personality. As I was born from chaos, Chaos Emeralds, to be specific, these traits were magnified. I'm spiteful, hateful, grudging, and not very nice. It was all for power. I wanted more and more of it… but it's useless to fight only for power. It corrupts," The change in the other Tails was dramatic; he didn't seem to care for destroying anymore. He was calm.

"How did he…?"

"Eggman?" Tails laughed at the mention his creator, "He obtained some of Tails' DNA, and used both it and the power of the emeralds to create me. It looks like he's flown off and left us here, though. You never can count on that old man."

His gaze turned to the still body of the "real" Tails. "I envy him…"

"Why should you?" Sonic asked quietly.

"He has friends…" At this statement, the "other" Tails body began to turn transparent. "Looks like he won't be needing his shadow anymore… This is a little anticlimactic…" Orbs of light floated away from the rapidly fading body of the clone. The orbs swirled and floated on the wind, creating a curtain of bright light that illuminated the deck. Tails dim figure was hard to see through the downpour.

"You'll remember me from time to time, won't you?" Sonic strained to hear the voice of his former enemy; it was barely above a whisper.

"How could I forget? You are my best friend, after all."

Sonic knew that the expression on the vanishing foxes' face was a smile, "Thank you." Just like that, he was gone.

* * *

"Sonic… are you still…" A small voice said feebly from the direction of Tails' body.

"Tails?!" Sonic rushed over to the side of his best friend, the pain lancing throughout his body momentarily forgotten. "You're alive! Don't worry, we'll get you-"

"Please don't say that, Sonic. You're just raising both of our hopes." An ashen smile appeared on his face, before being replaced by a pained grimace… "Is the other me…?"

"He's gone…" Sonic kneeled down and placed one hand gently behind Tails' head for support. "You won't leave me, will you?"

Tails laughed mournfully, or maybe he attempted too. But it turned out more to be blood-flecked coughs, "You're making this harder than it already is, Sonic. I tried, really I did. But I'm tired. Tired of it all…"

Sonic started to shake, his eyes brimming with tears, "Tails, I… You can't die... not after everything we've done together."

"Sonic, you know I appreciate all your years of friendship and how kind you've been to me. I'll never forget you, you know that? And tell Knuckles and Amy and everyone else that I'll miss them too."

Sonic's mind couldn't comprehend the scene before him. Or maybe it didn't want to. "No, little brother. Don't talk like that. Please, just don't!"

"Sonic, can you lean a little closer? It's cold, and I have something to say to you." Tails shivered, his eyes misty and glaze.

Sonic bent his head closer to Tails so he could hear his words. Tails lifted his hand towards Sonic's face, caressing his face. Sonic wept freely, tears coursing down his cheeks. As the small hand of the fox left his face, Sonic's heart froze momentarily as he realized this was the last time he would feel warmth from Tails.

Tails leaned up, whispering in Sonic's ear. Sonic's heart nearly shattered at the last words of Miles "Tails" Prower, words that only he would hear.

"Sayonara, nii-san."

* * *

**See, be happy that I at least finished the chapter, even if you aren't happy with the outcome. I hope you enjoyed. I had fun writing this chapter, just so you know.**


	4. Loss

**Loss**

**AN: Yes, I just so happen to still be alive. I happen to be on summer break so I can actually write some. Enjoy!**

* * *

That was all there was to it. His body slowly fell back to the ground, limp and lifeless. There was no spark, no life.

Sonic could only stare. He refused to accept that Tails, all of that childish brilliance, all his expertise with mechanics, all of everything that made him… him, was no longer there. The small form that held no life, the body that lay still in the rain… it was incomprehensible to the hero that Miles "Tails" Prower was now nothing but a corpse.

"Come on little bud. Let's take you back home. We'll all be able to rest, and you can recover… and we'll, one day, be able to remember this and laugh, all of us," Sonic leaned forward, grasping Tails and gently lifting him as he stood up. Holding him against his chest, Sonic started to walk. He was oblivious to everything that cried out on his body, all the cuts, all the blood, and the broken bones. Perhaps it was worse that he didn't realize how light the body he was carrying seemed.

Knuckles had patiently been waiting near the yellow and blue biplane. After regaining consciousness, Knuckles had crept over to the plane, realizing that Sonic's fight was something he had best stay out of. Out of respect, he had kept his distance as Sonic and Tails had conversed for the last time.

The burly echidna warily stood up at Sonic's approach, asking, "Are you ready, Sonic?" At the sight of the still figure of Tails, Knuckles heaved a deep sigh. Climbing into the pilot seat, Knuckles quickly swept his hand across his face before turning on the ignition.

He hoped Sonic saw the droplets of water falling down his face as rain instead of tears.

The plane came to a stop on the runway at Tails' Workshop. Knuckles wasn't really much of a pilot, so the landing was somewhat bumpy and rough. As Knuckles closed the workshop door, and turned off the lights for what could be the last time, a small stab of guilt surfaced in his mind.

"That might be the last time anyway ever flies that plane," Knuckles thought sadly as he trod down the wind swept stairs that led up to the large plateau. Tails' temporary home in the Mystic Ruins was usually bright and friendly, but in the middle of the night with a storm going on, it seemed rather forlorn and lonely.

The red echidna had never really examined the steps leading up to his friend's home before, but he had been looking down in thought when he saw them. The soil had cracks; it was displaced in some areas. The surface was slippery, the moss and grass growing on the steps slick with rain.

"I've climbed up these steps so many times…" Knuckles contemplated as he reached the foot, where the ground was much more even. "I never would have thought… that we would be carrying a body down them. Whenever we rushed down these steps, it was always in a hurry to go on an adventure."

"I think… this is the slowest I've walked in a long time."

Turning back briefly, the guardian of the Master Emerald gazed silently at the little workshop on top of the hill. As he changed direction to walk into the train, he bowed his head, "I'm sorry, Tails. You never had a chance to spread your wings and truly fly."

* * *

Amy had been waiting for a few minutes, twiddling her thumbs. It seemed like an eternity until the train leading from the Mystic Ruins finally arrived at the top of the stairs. The pink hedgehog girl rushed up, fully prepared to leap upon Sonic. However, she slowed her run a little as she neared the boarding platform where the train had arrived.

"That's strange… normally they're talking whenever they come home. I hope everything's alright…" the pink hedgehog thought. When the trio came into her field of vision, however, she knew instantly that it was not.

The young woman wanted to reach out to Sonic; to help him in anyway she could. She wanted to show him how strong her love for him was; it wasn't just an infatuation. She wanted her hero to sweep her off and her feet and tell her that everything would be. Well, Amy knew the last one was a bit of a stretch. Besides, the girl could already see Sonic was carrying someone. Someone that was alive only a few hours ago.

Later, the girl would ask herself why she had just stood there. As Sonic and Knuckles had walked past, the former carrying the body of Tails, Amy wondered why she had broken down. She had fallen to her knees, clutching her already soaking jacket as if for comfort or warmth. Tears had formed in her eyes and spilled to the floor. The pink hedgehog had wanted to be strong; to show that she was there for both of them in their times of need. But her strength had failed her.

Emotions had spoken what her words could not. Sonic and Knuckles had already left the building as she slowly rose up on shaky legs, her eyes still quivering with feelings and thoughts. As she descended unsteadily down to the door and out into the rain swept streets of Station Square, following the trail of the blue and red duo, a small guilt-ridden thought entered her mind.

She didn't even ask if Tails was still alive. To hope and plead that the little fox was okay… it didn't even occur to her to do that.

* * *

"Sonic! Wait? Where are you going!?" Amy cried out, running as fast as she could despite how weak she felt. The streets of the large city seemed to lurch after her as she ran through the rain. Her heart seemed to beat at 1000 times of minute as the sights, sounds, and feelings of the city and everything around her rushed into her brain. Everything seemed so loud.

As she caught up to him, Amy slowed down and drew her gaze towards Knuckles, asking him a question. Knuckles gazed back with tired purple eyes that would be the equivalent of a sigh.

Amy grasped Sonic's arm gently, wiping the rain out of her eyes. "Sonic, please tell me where you are going!" Amy repeated, talking a little louder in case the blue one couldn't hear her. She nearly jumped as an unexpected clash of thunder ripped through the sky.

"I'm taking Tails home…" Sonic muttered, barely heard above the rain. "Home… we're going… home…" That was all the warning the two had. The knees of the blue hedgehog buckled, and with a groan, Sonic finally gave in to unconsciousness. Knuckles managed to rush in and catch Sonic before he hit the ground. Amy stood next to Knuckles as the strong red echidna lifted Sonic upwards into a kneeling position.

"You can carry Tails for me, right?" Knuckles asked as he hefted Sonic onto his back, looping Sonic's arms under his so as to have a better grip. Amy silently took the body of Tails into her arms and clutched him close to her, like Sonic had carried him.

"_I can do this one thing… right? It's just a body… that's all… I can carry a body." _Amy repeated this mantra to herself over and over again. As she led the burden carrying echidna to her apartment in the suburbs, she was rather disgusted with her own weakness.

"I'm sorry, Tails. So sorry…" Amy whispered, her voice full of sorrow. Tears fell from her eyes onto the still figure of her friend, mixing in with the constant rainfall to wash clean the blood and injuries that littered his body. The young hedgehog hoped that wherever Tails' spirit was, that he was happy. Hoping was the only thing that she could do now.

* * *

It was as if he didn't even have a body anymore. There weren't separate feeling in any of his limbs; it was all one big mass of pain and ache. Even thinking about thinking hurt. Despite the massive amount of pain that it might entail, Sonic the Hedgehog decided to open his eyes.

Everything around him radiated a pink color. It was almost as painful to behold; the walls, the side table, the lamp on the side table. There were hearts and pictures of… himself, positioned all around the room. It was almost like some kind of shrine.

"Great…" the blue hedgehog rolled his eyes, "some rabid fan has captured me and is going to keep me in this hell hole forever." Despite the situation, Sonic laughed… and instantly regretted; it felt like his chest was on fire.

His attention was averted briefly from the pain in his chest as the door to the room opened and he heard footsteps. Then the realization dawned on the hero that he already knew who this rabid fan was…

"Sonic! I'm so glad you're okay. I didn't want to lose you too…" Amy Rose exclaimed as she approached the object of her affection. Pulling up a chair, Amy sat down across from Sonic.

Sonic was surprised as something warm and steamy placed in his lap. An aromatic smell drifted into his nose…. "Chili dogs!" Sonic nearly shouted with joy; it felt like it had been forever since he had any food.

He lifted the chili smothered hotdog near his mouth and took a bite. As the flavor and warmth of the food filled him, Sonic slowed down, looking at Amy quizzically. "Losing me too? What do you-?"

There was a clatter as the plate slipped off the bed and fell to the floor. Sonic had frozen as the cruel events of the past day returned to him in an unforgiving rush.

His emerald green eyes met Amy's, after what seemed like an era, even though it had only been a few moments, "Amy, you have to tell me where he is. I want to see him." His voice carried a forceful tone.

Amy's trembling hands were clenching her clothes tightly. Her hands underneath the gloves were probably just as white. Her eyes were glistening with tears, "Sonic? Don't you know he's…?" Amy's mouth froze up. She couldn't bring herself to say that word.

"Amy, you have to let me go!" Sonic had already thrown the pink bed-sheets aside. Bracing himself with his good arm, Sonic unsteadily tried to get off of the bed. Gritting his teeth at the pain that threatened to overwhelm him, the blue hedgehog limped his way towards the door.

"Please, don't run away! You haven't had time to recover! The injuries might cause you permanent damage!" Amy shrieked, trying to convince Sonic to rest. However, her words were beyond his understanding; he had already rushed away. Amy cried at the sight of the bandages that had covered Sonic's wounds fluttering to the floor, stained with blood.

* * *

"I had a feeling I'd find him here…" Amy muttered, steeling herself as she walked through the large, foreboding doors that were the entrance to the city funeral home.

"Excuse me, sir? Did you see Sonic?" Amy asked the director of the home.

"Ah, Sonic the Hedgehog; he rushed by just a few seconds ago. I assume he went to see the fox boy?" The director replied. Shaking his head, the old man continued, "Such a pity that such a brilliant young mind is gone forever. You have my, and the community's, condolences."

Amy followed the directions to where the body was being prepared for the funeral. Amy quietly approached the motionless hedgehog, beginning timidly, "Sonic, I know how you're feeling… we've all lost a friend."

"You really do?" Amy was shocked at the hostility that Sonic's voice carried, "My truest friend is lying in a casket. What made him so special as a person isn't there anymore. My little brother is now nothing but a corpse."

"Sonic…I…" The rose colored hedgehog struggled with the correct words.

"I couldn't do anything…" Sonic seethed, his anger not for Amy, but for himself now, "I let him die! I didn't take him and rush him to a hospital. I didn't try to stop the bleeding, I didn't try to relieve the pain. Amy…" Sonic turned to her, his eyes full of sadness and anguish, "I only stood there and listened to him."

It was the first time Amy saw Sonic break down. He collapsed to the floor, his hands clutching at the sides of his head as a mournful howl escaped from his lips. Amy stooped down and embraced him as he sobbed, all the pain, frustration, and sorrow escaping through his tears.

"I didn't even say goodbye."

* * *

**Chapter 4 is finished! Hope you guys enjoy; I struggled with this chapter for what seemed like forever. I don't know if I got across the emotion of this chapter as well as I had hoped, but I tried. Constructive criticism, as well as reviews and advice, is appreciated. Thanks for reading! **


	5. Grief

**Grief**

**AN: Well, here it is. This is the fifth and almost final chapter of "Just One Moment". I know it's been a while, I could make excuses as to why I haven't updated sooner. But I'll just let you get on with it, okay?**

**

* * *

**"At the request of Sonic the Hedgehog," she read aloud as she wrote, her pen scratching across the surface of the paper, "Miles "Tails" Prower will have a private funeral at Mystic…" Her voice trailing off, Amy Rose crumpled the piece of paper and hurled it aside. The offending object bounced against the wall before landing in a mountain of similarly mashed together pieces of paper. 

Tears threatened to spring to the jade eyes of the young girl for what must have been the hundredth time that night. "Why can't it sound right?" Amy half whispered as she slammed her fists onto the table. The rain poured heavily in thick sheets outside the window of Tails' Workshop. Amy had decided to write the details concerning the obituary and the funeral services, seeing as Sonic was emotionally unkempt, and both he and Knuckles were physically exhausted.

Amy had had to deal with the overwhelming amount of phone calls, all the letters offering their condolences, all the prayers and the Christian crosses that had been sent, the bouquets of merrily arranged flowers. As her eyes swept over the messily discarded letters and cards, Amy's expression softened. At least they had bothered to show some measure of grief; they had let them know that they cared.

Her heart skipped a beat as a bolt of lightning seared across the sky, jagged and bright. "He used to be so terrified of lightning…", the pink tressed girl thought aloud as she turned back to her work, her gloved hand clenching the pen a little too tightly. Her hand trembled as the words flowed across the page, "At the request of his friends…" her voice cracked and she hurled the paper away, the motion seeming almost routine to her. Write, crumple, throw. It was almost ingrained into her now.

"That's not how he would want it!" Amy hissed, tears streaking down her face, landing on the small table in front of her with soft splashes. The light overhead cast a large shadow across the room, displaying the action of it's inhabitant in a dark sketch across the wall. "These stupid, empty words…" Amy pounded her fists repeatedly against the wooden table top, "they're hollow! If all I have to do is write a few simple words, why is it so damn difficult!" Her voice was much louder than she intended it to be.

As soon as the words had escaped her mouth, Amy had wished she could capture those words and stuff them deep inside herself, lock them away. What kind of words were those, describing the death of a friend? Amy's peach colored cheeks burned as she realized that those words were disrespectful.

"Amy?" A small, child's voice fraught with sleepiness hailed her from the top of the stairs. Amy's green eyes met the somber brown eyes of a young rabbit as she tread down the stairs, the ones that led to Tails' observatory dome.

"Oh, Cream!" Amy hurriedly pushed aside the papers that cluttered the desk as the young rabbit approached. "I'm so sorry if I woke you up…" The pre-teen girl apologized, her voice carrying a pleading tone, as if she was begging the child across from to understand why she couldn't do this.

The toffee colored rabbit nodded, accepting Amy's apology. "You're still…" Her voice was solemn as chocolate eyes swept across the cluttered room. There was a tinge of sadness in her voice.

The older girl placed her head in her hands, heaving a sigh, "Whatever I try to write, it sounds…" Amy searched for the right words, "fake. You think it wouldn't matter so much, seeing as these words are going to be mechanically typed onto a computer, just clicks and buzzes signifying that someone's died, saying to all those people in Station Square, 'Oh, look! You know that little kid who followed Sonic the Hedgehog around? He died the other day.' But these words…" Jade eyes watched the rain fall outside, the constant _pitter patter_ of the droplets sounding almost like a soothing little song, "they don't sound right."

Cream's eyebrows furrowed as she frowned, "I still can't figure out how I'm going to dress for the service…" Her best friend across from giggled a little as Cream glared at her angrily. "No! You don't understand! This is serious! It's… it's…" Cream's eyelashes were suddenly wet with tears as her voice broke off.

"All the stuff I have is so stupid! There's that purple dress that I was thinking of, but then Mama said that purple means royalty, and I can't show up thinking that I'm all royal and better than everyone else! And there's that yellow dress I have that's all happy and sunny and funerals are sad things and I can't be all perky and happy with dead people." The words continued to pour out of her mouth, as if a dam on a flooding river had been broken, "Then I have that orange dress…" Cream wiped at her eyes roughly, her words spilling past her lips faster than she could breathe, "god, why can't I dress _normal? _It's all fluffy teddy bears and simple fabric with prancing unicorns… there's nothing mature! There isn't anything respectful!"

The young woman swept forward silently and embraced Cream before she could say anything more. Holding her quivering body tightly, the older girl kissed her softly on the forehead.

Cream hiccupped, her voice shaky as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "I'm s-sorry Amy, this must be a lot harder on you… and me worrying about something as stupid as what to wear."

The golden bracelets on her gloves glinted as she caressed Cream's face, her motherly instinct speaking for her, "It's okay, Cream. Everyone deals with their grief in different ways. Besides, Tails-" Amy stopped, a lump rising in her throat. She still hadn't accepted the fact that the body of the two tailed fox wasn't _Tails_ anymore. It- Amy loathed using that word to refer to him- couldn't feel anything, couldn't see anything. There wasn't a soul, the heart didn't beat, the mind didn't think. It was just dead weight, a corpse, "he wouldn't mind what you'd wear."

The child smiled, sniffing as she rubbed her nose, "Thanks, Amy." Yawning, she plodded back upstairs, her gaze weary, "Do you need anything before I go back to bed?"

Amy sat back down at the desk she had been hunched over half the night, her back aching as she returned to her work, "There will be no wake at the request of his… of his…" She was about to crumple up the sheet and toss it away, when a voice interrupted her.

"There will be no wake at the request of his family."

Amy looked up at Cream, surprised at her suggestion, "Really?" Amy mulled it over in her head, realizing how close knit their entire group of friends actually was. "Cream, that's perfect!" She scribbled it down frantically.

The rabbit child suddenly seemed older, more mature. A smile lit up her face, "Of course it is. He was ours, after all."

* * *

As the doorbell rang early that morning for what must have been the twentieth time, Amy stumbled down the stairs to answer it. Rubbing the last remnants of sleep from her eyes, she grasped the door handle and pulled it open.

"Please, be quiet! We have exhausted people sleeping upstairs…" Amy's voice trailed off and her mouth opened in surprise.

"Rouge…?"

Disheveled appearance and grimy, unkempt fur marred the normally classy appearance of the bat thief. Her clothes were a little torn in some places, and her eyes were red and bloodshot. She lurched into the room before Amy could say anything.

The thief roamed around the room, her eyes shifting back and forth, her expression one of terror. Amy noticed that her hands were trembling.

"Rouge…?" Amy repeated herself, her voice almost a whisper.

Her aquamarine spheres stopped on Amy, as if only then noticing that she was in the room. "There's a b-body here, isn't there?" Her voice was hushed, her stature cowed and the expression on her face dumbfounded. She was acting as if something was going to swoop from the shadows and attack her.

Amy watched in trepidation as Rouge fell backwards onto the couch, the bat appearing small and vulnerable. She moved towards the older bat in attempt of consolation, but shrunk away at the shriek that resounded from her lips.

"NO!!!" The scream was one of harsh terror. "If you don't get away they'll get you too!" At Amy's perplexed expression, a barking laugh emitted from her lips.

"You don't know who they are? What they do?" Rouge babbled almost incoherently, her voice cracking.

"They clutch at you, steal you away from all you care about. Ripping and tearing and squeezing and laughing as the life flows away. They're still gripping and chuckling as they rip you apart and replace your insides with teddy bear stuffing. The soft, fluffy things that make you think the world is gentle and safe. But they lie. The world is really more like a bunch of rocks, hard and painful."

Rouge drew her hands closer to her face, and dragged them down her cheeks. The young girl across from the older woman saw that her nails caused sharp little grooves down the sides of her face. The bat was still trembling as she continued, "It's what they did to him. He was already a soft person. But they cut him open- snip snip!" Rouge swept one hand in a diagonal line, hooking her hand and clamping it down like a pair of scissors. "Took out his insides and stuffed him full of lies!"

Amy clenched her dress tightly as Rouge shook her by the arm, the thief begging of her, "Why?" Tears flowed down the cheeks of the rose colored one as Rouge's beseeching face asked her, voice small and helpless, "Why? Why did it have to happen to him? He was just a little boy…a child." The albino bat buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

Amy crossed her arms and laid her head down on her knees, the tears blurring her vision. She didn't know the answer.

* * *

A piercing ringing noise suddenly filled his ears. Annoyed by this sudden interruption, he scrunched the pillow around his head. But to no avail. It reached him even through the downy mass.

Sluggishly, his arm reached out from under the swathe of covers. Roaming blindly through the darkness, his hand stopped as he felt cold, singing metal beneath his fingers. His gloved hand fumbled around for some kind of button or an off switch. But there was none.

His annoyance having reached its peak, he balled his hand into a fist and smashed it down, hard, upon the metal alarm clock. As he heard the sparks and the fizzing sound of the clock dying out, a satisfied sigh elicited itself from between his lips.

Sweeping the covers aside, Sonic yawned heartily. He actually felt quite well; it seemed like forever since he had any decent sleep. The weather outside had reduced itself to merely a steady drizzle, and the sun seemed to be making an effort to peek through the gray clouds. Even the birds were singing. A heavy snoring sound interrupted his reverie.

Startled, the green eyes of the teenager swept over to where the sound was originating from. At the comical sight of the burly red echidna laying sprawled across the other bed, one of his legs and an arm hanging off and nearly touching the floor, he couldn't help but smile. The bed was a little too small for him…

"Of course, it is your bed, Tails. There's no way Knuckles could ever fit…" Sonic sighed wearily, his smile fading into something more akin to a frown. Turning his head, the eyes of the blue hedgehog found a small bedside table. Next to the little lamp was a picture of someone he knew well.

As his hands gently slipped the picture out of the frame, and his eyes beheld the small, smiling face of the fox and the large plane he was working on, a cold, dull aching feeling snaked its' away across his chest. A little surprised, Sonic slowly raised his right hand to his eyes.

There were no tears. No salty wetness was spilling its way down his cheeks to leave wet little imprints on the smiling, still face of the fox. No bitterness to mar the happy subject of the picture. The azure male was a little surprised, but an odd feeling of comfort spread through him. He wanted the memory of Tails to stay that way; happy.

But someone else's sadness made itself known. The loud, grief stricken howl that reached his ears surprised him. Leaving the blue hedgehogs grasp, the smiling, picture perfect face of Tails and his machinery fluttered to the floor as Sonic rushed down the stairs.

The sight that greeted his ears was odd indeed. Rouge, shaking and trembling like a leaf, was sobbing into her hands unashamedly. Amy was next to her, her own face wet and streaked and grief. As the object of her affection reached the threshold into the living room, Amy stood up.

Sonic wasn't surprised when she rushed forward and fell onto him, sobbing. Her words were muffled by his chest as she cried and tried to speak at the same time, "Oh god, Sonic. What are we going to do?" Sonic was at a loss to answer her questions as her tears continued to fall. He wanted nothing more than to cry with her, but the tears refused to fall.

The dull ache within him started to resurface as Sonic took the young girl by the shoulders. As he held her quivering form close, embracing her warmly, the cold feeling spread throughout his entire frame, spider webbing its way to his arms and legs. The terrible ache was a part of him, suffused into his very being, as he held Amy in his arms and stroked her face.

* * *

**This chapter was **_**really **_**hard to write. But in the end, I think it turned out well. Hope you enjoyed!**


	6. Finale: Warmth

**Finale: Warmth**

**A/N: Here is the final chapter of "Just One Moment", so I will just get right onto it.**

* * *

She squirmed uncomfortably in her black, form fitting dress. She felt like she couldn't breathe, as if the whole room was impressing its' weight on her and suffocating her. The silence was heavy and stifling.

Fidgeting nervously with her black hair band, the young girl took several deep, calming breaths. The only good thing about today was that maybe, possibly, they could start to move on. Maybe with the finality of a burial, Tails resting as peacefully as a dead person _could_ in the ground, they could come to terms with his death and maybe have a little peace.

The aching void in the middle of her chest, the one that used to be her heart, told her that was a pretty little lie. Things would never be the same again.

She shook her head angrily, almost biting her tongue to stifle the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She didn't need the hole in her chest to tell her that. One of her dearest friends, _part of her family_, was dead. Gone. Nonexistent.

A body, drained of everything life giving, everything human, filled with chemicals and manmade mixtures for preservation.

"So he won't rot…" Amy sobbed quietly, tears spilling down her cheeks, landing with soft splashes on the ground, "to make sure… he still looks like him…"

The sun was attempting to shine through the murky clouds, bathing the young girl in soothing, amber light. She shuddered as the unwanted, almost offensive heat saturated her skin.

"We don't need it…" She brushed her arms as if to banish the invading warmth from her skin. She held her head high, her voice just above a whisper, "We don't WANT it. You can't just THINK that will make everything right…" Anger, helpless rage, began to surface in her voice. She felt as if the world was trying to take pity on her, by trying to make everything appear warm and safe.

"YOU took him away! YOU let this happen to him!" Unbridled fury rang forth from deep within her very being as her voice escalated to a shout.

"Don't try to deceive us with your warmth and brightness," The shouts echoed against the walls of the small abode. As the sound of her own voice pierced her ears, it reminded the young woman of how alone and empty the house had been the past week and forever would be. The little workshop perched atop a hill on the Mystic Ruins… the only thing it would be doing now would be collecting dust.

"It isn't happy! You tore him away from us, _murdered_ him, and don't even think for a second that you can make it normal again! This world is not a good thing!" The slightest of hiccups interrupted Amy's grief-driven tirade. She sucked in a large breath in attempt to ward off the oncoming sorrow, "It isn't light, and hope, and …"

Her voice caught in her throat as the sobs threatened to overtake her. Her emerald eyes, muddled with tears, swept around the small, unlit room. The small bench across the wall for guests… the door leading into the workshop… it was all cold and empty. Gray. Lifeless.

Amy clumsily clambered atop a chair near the wall and glared through the window, her shimmering eyes defiant as she beheld the outside world, "You can't change it back! Nothing will be like it was before…you may always rise, and you may always set," She glared angrily at the cloud covered sun and the dusky sky, her rage at the world spilling forth both in words and unspoken feelings, "but the one good person who should be here isn't!"

Wobbly, she descended onto her knees as anguish overpowered seething hate. Tears cascaded down the girls' cheeks as sob after sob relentlessly wracked her frame.

Her hands, roaming and fidgeting with, found the sides of her face as she rocked back and forth. The mourning garb clung to her figure, dampened by tears.

"It's never going to be right again…" The females' voice was little above a lost, pitiful whisper, "never ever."

"So, it looks like you aren't any more ready for this than I am, huh Amy?"

Amy looked up, her bloodshot jade eyes encountering those of Sonic's. She stood up warily, smoothing her crumpled dress as she sniffed and rubbed vigorously at her eyes.

The older male half-smiled in spite of himself. "The procession is already here with the…" He looked at the ground, unable to say the word that would make everything final. He avoided letting his mind wander to the subject, still retaining the slight glimmer of hope that it was all some kind of horrid nightmare.

However, seeing the small, unmoving body, the fake smile on his peaceful face during the visitation and subsequent ceremony…it told him that everything was real.

Sonic bristled when he saw that the funeral director had prepared the body thus, twisting Tails' final moments in life.

He had not been smiling. He had not been happy. They had tried to make the child seem as if his death occurred in a warm, familiar place instead of miles away from home.

As if he had died quickly and painlessly, his strength not ebbing out from a gaping cut across his torso and stomach.

Sonic was startled from his reverie at Amy's voice, "Sonic… I don't think I'll ever be ready…"

He shook his head, clearing his mind as he crouched on one knee, holding Amy's hands in his, "It's almost over, Amy. Just one more moment of this, and then it's finished, I promise." He desperately tried to hold back his own tears as his voice rasped, "Everything will be all right, Amy."

The rivulets continued to fall, unabashed, as Amy hissed her reply, "Sonic, this will never be 'all right'. They're putting him _in the ground_! He will not be able to feel the sun or see the sky, and he will be alone and afraid in that horrible coffin. His body will-"

The suddenly vice-like grip on her hands cut short her rambling. Her eyes beheld Sonic, his eyes maddeningly bright, cheeks flush.

"Amy… don't go there," His voice carried admonition, warning.

The pink female broke free of his grip, standing up hurriedly and rushing to the center of the room. She turned around, her voice hoarse with grief and pain, "I can't just deny this, Sonic! Tails is- is dead, and you know it. But you can't seem to accept it- you're acting like this is some kind of play or dream, when it's over you'll wake up and everything is fine. Sonic," her voice trembled, her eyes glistened, "it's not!!"

"Don't even dare _think _that this is easy for me, Amy," Sonic clenched his fists, arms shaking as he spun on his heel towards her. It was as if the conversation between them was a melodramatic soap opera, with Tails' dreary little workshop their set.

She unconsciously stepped back at the fiery rage in his voice.

"I watched him, _held _him as he died, Amy," The tears running down Sonic's face as he vented mirrored those of the girl across him, "I felt the warmth leave his body. When Knuckles and I got back home, there was nothing of him left."

His eyes squeezed shut, tears escaping as he relived the memory, "I know Tails is gone, Amy. But I will be **damned** if I'm just going to- to move on and forget everything that he was!" He turned around, hid ears picking up the sound of the pallbearers carrying the coffin up the steps to the plateau of the Mystic Ruins. Without another word, he stepped outside to the gravesite, closing the small wooden door behind him.

Amy sighed resolutely, the little voice in the back of her head telling her that this sort of thing was natural; it was part of the grieving process, he was bound to flit between emotions and lash out. That part was as natural as crying, right?

Mustering up her courage, Amy followed meekly in Sonic's footsteps, quietly and carefully closing the door behind her as if she was afraid to disturb the empty little household. The fact that they were having a funeral, here, now... it was proof to her that everything was wrong.

It was as if there was a hole in the world.

* * *

When Vanilla, concerned for her daughter's state of mind and health, asked if the little girl would like to stay at home instead of attending to funeral, Cream squashed her fears. She wanted to attend the services, out of respect and honor for part of her family.

However, as the coffin was borne up the steps and laid to rest on the stone mount next to the plot, the child felt a tiny bit of reluctance at her choice. She shuddered as a human preacher, regaled in robes and sashes, stepped up to blather on about Heaven and Hell and God.

As her eyes drew to the excavated soil next to the plot, she tuned out the man's words. She had barely made it through the visitation without bawling her eyes out. As the wind ruffled her ears, Cream questioned whether she could get through this.

The visitation had been horrible. It felt as if the funeral home was only there to take advantage of the grief and pain of others for money.

Moreover, the music… it was like they _wanted_ everyone to break down.

Her chocolate-brown eyes surveying the area, Cream took in the surroundings. It was slightly warmer compared to the last few days, and a bit of sun shone through the murky clouds. "Not that that makes it any easier," Cream mumbled under her breath. It seemed as if the world was trying to make up for being so stormy the last few days by offering them a little sunshine.

Rouge was standing off to the side with Knuckles, fidgeting anxiously with the necklace she wore. Guilt was clearly in her eyes as they roved from the ground, to her male companion, to the clouds drifting lazily in the sky. The small child noticed that she was looking everywhere but at the coffin.

Knuckles vivid violet eyes held the smallest hint of sadness, but his stance remained stoic and gruff. Cream fought back the urge to giggle slightly, but couldn't restrain herself as her mouth opened to make the slightest of sounds.

However, instead of a laugh, it was a hiccup.

As the preacher stepped down, and Sonic hurried over to the stand for last words, the tears came unexpectedly, matting her peach muzzle and splashing on her small dress. She buried her face in the folds of her mother's black dress, the tears rolling down her cheeks and soaking the fabric.

"It's not supposed to be like this…" Creams muffled voice came between sobs, "everything is wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. All of us being here, Mama, this isn't good. It's not happy or safe, it's just sad and lonely… Mama, why did this have to happen?"

Vanilla soothingly knelt down and embraced her daughter, stroking her face lovingly. As she smoothed her rumpled dress and offered Cream a comforting smile, she secretly told herself that it was her daughter she was reassuring with these actions, not herself.

* * *

"When we were younger," Sonic began with a smile, his expression a contrast to his bleary eyes and gaunt cheeks. His fur, normally clean and well-kept, was disorderly and grimy. He inattentively tapped the microphone to see if it was working, "Tails told me once, that no matter where he was or what was happening, if he could at least see the sky and feel the wind, he would be fine. I realized later that it was because he loved flying. Whether in his plane or by himself, the ability to soar in the sky, free and happy, was something he treasured… he had a brilliant mind, and-"

An abrupt pause in the speech caused everyone to look up at Sonic. His eyes were scrunched tight, his body shaking as his voice whispered, "and…"

Opening his eyes and exhaling long and loud, Sonic continued, "When he died, it was as if time had stopped, like the world had frozen and this horrible, unbelievable thing had happened. I felt as if I wouldn't be able to continue living because a part of me had died with him. My heart had been torn out, crushed, and the pieces discarded."

"I know today is awful," the male brushed away the tears that threatened to come, swallowing the lump in his throat, "and that things will never be the same again. It might seem impossible to move past our grief and go on with our lives… but Tails wouldn't want it to be this way. He would want us to keep going. He'll be watching over us, and he'll be happy knowing that we had the strength to continue on instead of giving in to misery."

Sonic fought back the sob as the pallbearers lowered the coffin into the ground and prepared to bury it, "Just, sometimes, think of all the memories you shared together. That's all I ask…"

He was unable to watch as the first mound of dirt fell.

* * *

A gloved hand traced lovingly over the letters etched into the stone, a long-standing tribute in memory of his best friend and little brother.

_Miles "Tails" Prower_

_Beloved Son, Brother, and Friend_

_Gone, but never forgotten_

"Sonic, are you coming?" A voice called after him from far away.

With the sun shining brightly over him, and the wind gently ruffling the leaves, Sonic the Hedgehog stood up. His voice was warm and tender and his eyes vivid with tears as he said his last goodbye to the only person he could call family.

"Sayonara, nii-chan."

* * *

**FIN**

**AN: "Sayonara, nii-chan" (or "Sayonara, otouto") is Japanese for (IIRC) "Goodbye, little brother." "Sayonara, nii-san" (Tails' last words) is "Goodbye, older brother."**


End file.
